A German start-upcompany is developing the world’s first ultralight personalelectric plane that can be powered from a wall socket, take off and land vertically even from back gardens, and is eco-friendly .
The two-seater entirelyelectric plane uses a ducted fan which makes it much simpler, quieter and safer than conventional helicopters. “Our goal is to develop an aircraft for use in everyday life. We are going for a plane that does not need the complex and expensive infrastructure of an airport,” said Daniel Wiegand, CEO of Lilium, the company hosted at a European Space Agency (ESA) business incubator. “To reduce noise and pollution, we are using electric engines so it (the plane) can also be used close to urban areas,” said Mr. Daniel, one of the four Munich University graduates who founded the company. Highly efficient in its cruising mode, the plane will have a range of 500 kilometres and be on sale by 2018. It features a touchscreen and flyby-wire joystick controls, retractable landing gear, wing doors, large storage, panoramic windows, and a battery that can be recharged from any wall socket. “The half-size prototype is already flying and now under test. The full-size unmanned prototype is planned for this summer,” said Mr. Thorsten Rudolph, CEO of AZO, which runs the incubator, one of many in ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme throughout Europe. “We are helping the Lilium team turn their idea into a viable business. They are the aircraft experts, and we provide the expertise on how to make a business out of their dream,” Rudolph said.

 Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

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